Israel Asks for a King
1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.8:1 Traditionally judges 2The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20 us, such as all the other nations have.”
6But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
10Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle8:16 Septuagint; Hebrew young men and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
19But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
21When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
以色列人要求立王
1撒母耳在年老的時候立了他的兒子做以色列人的士師。 2他的長子是約珥，次子是亞比亞，他們在別示巴做士師。 3然而，他們沒有效法自己的父親，反而愛慕不義之財，貪贓枉法。
4於是，以色列的長老一起到拉瑪去見撒母耳， 5說：「你年紀大了，你的兒子不效法你。現在求你為我們立一個王治理我們，像其他國家一樣。」 6撒母耳聽到他們要求立一個王治理他們，心中不悅，就向耶和華禱告。 7耶和華對撒母耳說：「你照他們所說的去做吧，因為他們不是拒絕你，而是拒絕我做他們的王。 8自從我帶他們出埃及那天一直到今日，他們常常背棄我，去供奉其他神明。現在，他們也這樣對待你。 9你就照他們所求的去做吧！但你要嚴厲地警告他們，讓他們知道將來王會怎樣管轄他們。」
10撒母耳就把耶和華的話轉告給那些請求他立王的民眾，說： 11「將來管轄你們的王會徵用你們的兒子做他的戰車兵、騎兵，要他們跑在他的戰車前面。 12他會派一些人做千夫長、五十夫長，一些人為他耕種田地、收割莊稼，一些人製造兵器和戰車的裝備。 13他會把你們的女兒帶走，要她們給他造香膏、煮飯和烤餅。 14他會奪去你們最好的田地、葡萄園和橄欖園，送給他的臣僕。 15他會從你們的糧食和葡萄園的出產中收取十分之一，送給他的官員和臣僕。 16他會徵用你們的僕婢及最好的牛8·16 「牛」有古卷作「青年」。和驢來為他效勞。 17他會拿去你們羊群的十分之一，你們必做他的奴僕。 18那時你們會因所選之王的壓迫而呼求耶和華，耶和華卻不會垂聽。」
19民眾卻不肯聽從撒母耳的話。他們說：「不，我們想要一個王治理我們， 20這樣我們就會像其他國家一樣，有王來統治我們，率領我們，為我們作戰。」 21撒母耳聽後，就把民眾這些話轉告耶和華。 22耶和華對撒母耳說：「照他們說的去為他們立一個王吧。」於是，撒母耳對以色列人說：「你們各人回自己的城去吧。」
